Doing What's Right
by When the Crow flies
Summary: What if things didn't go as planned? What if Judy and Nick ran into even more trouble at the Museum, trouble involving a certain gun of serum. Life will throw a wrench in even the most foolproof plans, and it will test even the closest relationships.
1. Doing What's Right

_A/N: Here we go guys! My first Zootopia fic, I'm honestly pleased with this. I've honestly fell in love with these characters, so expect more of these stories to come! Let me know if you like it, I'll be writing more soon. As always, The Crow_

Fear tickled the pit of the red Foxes' stomach, his heart beating so fast it felt as if it was going to burst free. His breaths came in strained gasps that he failed to conceal despite the current situation. Beside him Officer Judy Hopps leaned against a massive oak bookshelf, a look of pain etched on her face. The stink of blood filled the predator's nostrils, it was thick and metallic. It made him sick. Biting her lip through pain Judy stood on her wounded leg and pushed the metal case she was holding into Nick's arms.

"Go, get this to Bogo. That's our only chance," she hissed, her tone low and filled with emotion. Tears formed in Nick's green eyes as he took the case from the injured Bunny, maybe she was right.

Suddenly the Fox tensed, his keen ears twisting and turning to hear in the gloom. In the darkness of the museum he could make out the loud footfalls of their hunters as they searched the area. It was clear that ram's were never made to be predators, this was clear by the various grunts and bleats that echoed through the expansive room.

"I'm not leaving you here Carrots, there's no way in hell," Nick growled as he sat the case down and reached out to steady his companion. Judy grimaced as she was lowered to the ground, her small hands instinctively reaching down to cover the bullet wound that stung her calf. Emotions boiled in the Fox's' heart, it killed him to see her in pain, to see what they did to her.

Another crash echoing through the building sending the mammals hair on end, they were getting closer. Looking around in panic Nick examined the area around the pair, looking for a place to hide. His piercing green eyes fell on a small grate that extruded from the wall, it's metal old and dusty. Making his decision he slunk forward silently and wrapped his paws around the outer edges of the cover, it pried free easily. Judy was already by his side, fully aware of the plan the sly fox had made in his head. The small bunny clambered into the vent, being careful to not upset the painful wound on her leg, fully situated she turned back to motion for her companion but was met only with a sad smile on the Fox's' muzzle.

"Don't be too mad at me Hopps, this is the only way," Nick whispered sadly as he pushed the metal grate back into place sealing his companion inside.

"Nick! What do you think you're doing?!" Judy demand, scooting to the grate, her purple eyes filling with tears. She watched in confusion as the red Fox pulled the dart gun from it's case and opened it's clip. Desperation welled up inside the Bunny's chest as she watched nick pluck the third blueberry from the gun and slide a serum filled pellet in it's place.

"I'm doing what's right for once," the fox replied solemnly before he turned and padded silently into the gloom leaving Judy alone.

Nick silently slunk around the row of bookshelves he and Judy had taken cover behind, in front of him two of the Ram's skidded to a stop and raised their guns. Before either of the mammals could react Nick fired off the gun he held in his paws, sending a blueberry tearing past the pair's heads.

"Shit, he's got the serum," the larger of the two Ram's bleated, diving to the ground his gun skidding off into the gloom. The other Ram stood his ground and squeezed off a shot sending a 9mm round hurtling from his barrel.

Pain tore through Nick's arm as he fell to the ground clutching a fresh bullet wound that stung deeply in his flesh. The Ram took aim again but ducked when Nick fired off his final Blueberry giving him enough time to roll into cover.

"Nick! Are you okay?! Talk to me pleas!" Judy's voice yelled from somewhere in the museum, her tone panicked and afraid. Nick cursed silently in his head, that Bunny didn't know when to be quiet.

"Carrot's you stay right where you are!" Nick ordered loudly, tears sliding down his sleek red fur. Sucking in one final breath Nick stepped out from his cover to face the two Rams.

 _'We had a good run, but looks like our time finally ran out,'_ Nick thought sadly as he brought the cold barrel of the handgun to his temple. Somewhere he could hear Judy yelling, her voice fading as he pulled the trigger.


	2. Forgiveness

_A/N: Hey there everyone, thanks so much for reading it means so much to me! I posted the first chapter of this last night and I honestly didn't expect it to catch on this much. With the surge of like and comments I knew I had to continue, and I'm glad I did! I'm honestly invested in these characters, and will continue to work on this piece and maybe a few others. May even try my hand at a fluffy little romance, who knows? Anyways, I've talked to much, please enjoy. ~The Crow~_

Nick Wilde groaned and let out a long, ragged breath that burned his raw lungs. His whole body tingled and creaked leaving his red fur standing on end. The Fox moved to massage the unbearable migraine that wracked his head but was stopped by something wrapped tightly around his wrists. Confusion set in as his eyes slid open, trying their best to adjust to the glaring white light that filled the room.

Panic caught in the Fox's throat when he could finally make out his surroundings through the bright light. He was lying on what appeared to be a hospital bed, his wrists and ankles strapped to the sides of the gurney. The room was empty save for himself and a few machines that had various reading and medical information darting across their screens.

Nick opened his mouth to call for someone, anyone really, but no sounds came from his dry throat. Something tasted off as the Fox ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth, there was a sickening metallic taste lingering on his taste buds. Confusion and panic muddled the usually sly fox's mind as he tried desperately to remember what happened to get him in such a predicament.

As the Fox was deep in thought the room's only door creaked open and a Bengal Tiger dressed sharply in ZPD blues stepped in with a steaming cup of coffee. The Tiger noticed Nick immediately and quickly shut the door behind him.

"Finally awake are we?" The Tiger purred, his voice silky and smooth with a hint of something exotic. At first Nick didn't respond, he was too busy looking the newcomer over. The Tiger was tall, his chest broad and arms thick, he made Nick look like a ragdoll. The Fox's eyes drifted to the Officer's nameplate, it read 'Jack Stripes', it would of been quite ironic if not for the current situation.

"W-Where's Judy?" Nick managed, his voice still raw and barely audible. Jack huffed and collapsed in the folding chair that was set out beside the hospital bed, even sitting the Tiger was menacing.

"Why should you care? After what you did to her I'm not too keen on letting you know anything," Jack growled menacingly, his smooth voice quickly becoming menacing. Confusion flashed across the Fox's features as he tried desperately to make sense of the Tiger's words. Fear begin to set in as Nick's overburdened mind started to race, drawing conclusion before he could even think rationally.

After a few seconds of silence Jack shrugged his toned shoulders and flipped on a television that was mounted in the corner of the room. Immediately Nick caught sight of a damning headline flashing across the screen in red letters, 'Savage Fox attacks at Museum, two dead. Officer Judy Hopps' condition still unknown.'

A strained, animalistic moan escaped Nick's throat as he thrashed against his bindings, tears streaming from his green eyes. A wave of nausea washed over him as the realization of the taste of blood filled his mind, Her blood.

Jack's eyebrow raised slightly, his face betraying no emotion as he turned off the television. "I have to admit, you did a good job dealing with those Rams, pretty ballsy move Fox," the Tiger growled crossing his arms. "But I can never forgive you after what happened to Judy."

"Where is she? Please! I need to know!" Nick begged tears still streaming from his face, his mind wracked by a barrage of raw emotion. Jack opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly silenced when the room's door banged open.

Nick's green eyes slid to the door expecting another ZPD Officer to be in the doorway, maybe even Chief Bogo, but what the Fox saw made his heart swell. Standing in the room was the one and only Officer Judy Hopps, His Judy Hopps.

"Carrots!" Nick croaked in relief, the relief in his voice betraying his usually suave and carefree appearance. Judy's face brightened, her purple eyes opening wide. She started to move to her friend's side when she was suddenly blocked by Jack.

"Officer Hopps, you can't be in here," the Tiger growled, his tone a little less harsh than it was a few seconds ago when dealing with Nick. Judy crossed her arms in defiance and stared up at the Tiger that towered above her.

"I can be wherever I want to, just because I'm off duty doesn't mean I'm no longer an officer," Judy declared, her purple eyes filled with defiance. Jack held her gaze for a few moments before relenting with a mighty sigh.

"Fine, there's no point in arguing with someone as stubborn as you," the Tiger grumbled as he lumbered to the door that Judy had just entered moment ago. "But if he touches you again, I'll kill him. "Jack added before disappearing from the room, closing the door behind him

A silence fell over the room as Judy hopped into the chair that Jack had filled moments earlier. Nick's green eyes followed her every move, as if she would disappear the moment he looked away. A slight grimace flashed across the bunny's features as she stretched her wounded leg causing the white bandages wrapping around it to tighten ever so slightly. At first Nick thought that was the only injury on the small Bunny's body, then he noticed the scars.

Three white scars stood out against Judy's gray fur, stretching from the base of her left ear to only disappear beneath the collar of the blue striped button up she had on. There was also a large amount of bandages covering her left forearm, making Nick very aware of the taste of blood in his mouth.

Sighing Judy reached out and untied Nick's wrist and ankles letting the Fox finally move freely. "I-I'm so sorry Carrots," Nick whispered, regret flashing across his already pained face. He expected to be berated, to be yelled at, hated even. After all he was just a predator, nothing more.

"It's alright dumb Fox, you did it to protect me," Judy whispered, her purple eyes cast down. Nick could see the shudder that ran down his friend's body, as the memories of what happened that day came flooding back to her.

"I-I can't remember what happened, all I can see are blurs, and flashes," Nick mumbled quietly, causing Judy to strain her ears to pick up his words.

"No matter what you remember, I don't blame you for any of it. That wasn't you then," Judy protested, her hand subconsciously moving to the white bandages that covered her forearm. Just looking at the injuries made Nick sick to his stomach, she might not be willing to blame him, but he sure blamed himself.

"Did we at least get Bellewether?" Nick questioned, trying to shift the subject from Judy's injuries. The bunny it her lip and let out a sigh, he wasn't going to like her answer. "She and the Ram named Doug managed to escape, but we have all the evidence to lock them up whenever we get to them."

"What about the other two? The ones I was fighting?" Nick pried, fear sinking into his voice. This time Judy winced and pulled her purple eyes away from the Fox lying in front of her. In her heart she knew Nick already knew what happened, but that still didn't change how horrifying it had to be.

"The other two are dead, you killed them while protecting me," Judy whispered wringing her small paws together. A look of shock washed across Nick's face as the coppery taste of blood became more and more apparent in his mouth. A wave of nausea hit him and the Fox buried his face in his paws. He really was a savage, nothing more than a predator.

"Oh god Nick, please don't blame yourself," Judy begged, tears now spilling from her wide purple eyes. Her hands moved to the Fox's shoulder in an attempt to console him, she was shocked to find his whole body trembling. Guilt bit into the Bunny's chest as she climbed into the bed beside Nick and cradled his head. The Fox didn't resist, instead he gladly accepted and buried his face in Judy's lap tears and sobs racking his body.

A feeling of uselessness came over Judy as she gently stroked the reddish orange fur on the nape of Nick's neck, for once she didn't know what to do. So she did the only thing she could do, she cried, she cried with Nick letting her emotions take over.

Outside Chief Bogo stood at the room's door, his hoof outstretched to open it. Glancing in the small window he caught sight of the pair, deciding against opening the door he stepped back and turned to the Tiger standing beside him.

"Jack, stand guard over this Fox, treat him like one of our own. God knows Judy already does," Bogo ordered a slight smile threatening to crack his usually stoic appearance. The Tiger gave a curt nod before sitting down in a chair that had been slid beside the door to Nick's hospital room.

The Water Buffalo glanced inside the room once more only to find Judy fast asleep still cradling Nick's head, this time a smile did crack his gruff features, but he had already turned and lumbered down the hallway before anyone could notice.

A/N: That's all I've got for now guys, but I'll put some work in and get the next chapter rolling soon, I promise! As always let me know what you think, criticism is good for the soul.


	3. New Beginnings

A/N: Here's chapter 3 ready and released! If you liked it please leave a comment or a like and let me know what you think, thanks!

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance of Zootopia, probably from one of the always persistent rainstorms that hung over the Rainforest District in large bands, dumping torrents of rain on the inhabitants at all hours of the day. Usually Nick was soothed by the deep rumbling of the thunder clouds, especially when his various 'jobs' took him to the Rainforest. Tonight wasn't a usual night, and the ominous crashes kept Nick awake, his body jerking instinctively with every mighty rumble.

The Fox had been in the hospital for four days now, and it seemed he'd have to spend another week there. The soreness from his various injuries had finally set in leaving him stuck in bed, even the smallest of movements causing pain to flare up. The bullet wound in his arm was by far the worst, the bullet dug in deep and lodged itself in his Humerus, despite his current predicament Nick couldn't help but find the irony in his injury. Other than the bullet wound, Nick had suffered multiple lacerations on his chest and back, as well as a broken rib and numerous other cuts and bruises. The most punishing of them all were the small scratches dug into his chest, clearly made by Judy's claws in an attempt to defend herself.

Sighing Nick placed a paw over his heart where the most of the scratches were cut into his skin leaving long pink scars in place of his usual reddish orange fur. The Fox's stomach knotted up as he traced the cuts, the realization dawning that he would have these scars as a reminder of what happened for a very long time. Did he really do the right thing? This question bugged him constantly, haunting him in his sleep.

Judy constantly insisted that Nick didn't have any other choice, that she didn't blame him for what happened. But he could see the slight tremble in her ears when she looked at him, he could see the emotions bubbling in her striking purple eyes…. She was afraid of him, even though she couldn't admit it.

Another clap of thunder made the Fox glance out the window in the corner of the room, his eyes barely cracked. Outside it was pouring down rain, if he was in a better mood he might of even said it was raining cats and dogs, but he wasn't in a good mood. He hadn't been in a good mood the entire day, it seemed like a non-stop sea of doctors and nurses parading in and out of the room. Other than that his only visitor was Chief Bogo, he stopped by sometime in the early morning and left a manilla folder filled with papers on Nick's bedside table, he had yet to feel like rifling through them.

Cracking his eyes wider Nick caught sight of the wall clock that hung opposite of him, it read '11:58', so much for getting some sleep. That's something he had never truly appreciated being a nocturnal animal, now he realized how amazing a good night's sleep was. Dark circles had formed around his striking green eyes, Judy had teased him about looking like a Raccoon, but he could tell it bothered her.

Suddenly Nick's ears shot to attention picking up the sounds of light footsteps padding down the hallway outside his door. The Fox merely huffed and rolled over on his side, it was probably just the ward nurse making her rounds again. Whoever was outside came to a stop in front of the door to Nick's room, he could make out the sound of the door knob being turned quietly. Instead of rolling to look at door as it opened Nick remained still, if it was a nurse it would be a lot easier for him if he just stayed quiet.

The sound of the door opening and closing bit into Nick's curiosity but he fought the urge to glance over his shoulder, after all, curiosity killed the Cat, not the Fox. Light footfalls made their way to the hospital bed, whatever mammal was in the room it was small and quiet. Nick half expected to hear the scratch of a pen on paper as a nurse recorded his vitals on a clipboard, instead he felt a weight slide into the bed behind him and warm fur press against his back.

"What are you doing here so late Carrots?" Nick huffed, still on his side. The wriggling behind him suddenly stopped and he thought he heard Judy cursing under her breath.

"How'd you know it was me?" Judy questioned as she placed a hand on Nick's shoulder, she could've sworn he was asleep. The Bunny was silently thankful that the room was almost pitch black so her companion couldn't see the deep blush that had formed on her cheeks. Although she had been growing relatively close with the Fox it was still embarrassing to be caught climbing into his bed in the middle of the night.

"I could smell you," Nick whispered, tapping the tip of his nose playfully, a smirk teasing the edges of his snout. Judy let out a small snort as she ghosted her fingertips across one of Nick's ears sending shivers down his spine.

"What do I smell like?" Judy pried, enjoying the close bond that had formed between the pair. A small grin slid across her face as she felt Nick tense, his breath hiking slightly in his throat.

"You smell like hope."

Once again tears welled in Judy's eyes as she buried her head in the nape of Nick's neck trying her best not to cry. The dumb Fox always knew exactly what to say, that was something she admired in him.

"Thank you."

Judy awoke with a start, the early morning rays shining brightly in her sleep filled eyes. Panic overtook her for a second when she realized where she was, she hadn't meant to actually fall asleep at the hospital. The peaceful rise and fall of Nick's chest soothed her worry, maybe it was a good thing she stayed. But the sudden clearing of someone's throat made her veins run cold.

"I'm not going to question why you're here Hopps, what you do in you're free time is up to you," Chief Bogo grumbled as he pushed himself fully into the room, filling the space with his large frame. Judy let out a sigh of relief, for some reason she expected to be reprimanded for her actions, but it was clear that the Chief at least tolerated her close bonds with Nick.

"Is he awake?" The Water Buffalo questioned as he sat in the room's only chair, it's metal legs popping under the mammal's weight.

"I'm present Chief," Nick grunted giving a mock salute from his position on the bed, Judy whirled around to glare at her companion. Sly Fox, he had her convinced that he was asleep.

"Excellent," Bogo muttered sliding his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Mr. Wilde I'm going to go ahead and assume that you haven't read the files I left you. Anyways, contained in that folder is your acceptance letter to the ZPD, your new badge number and file information, as well as your first assignment." Confusion crossed Nick's face as he rolled over to look at the Chief of ZPD police, Judy's face mirrored her companions.

"W-What are you talking about?" Nick demanded, his brain struggling to process that was just thrown at him.

"Welcome to the force Officer Wilde," Chief Bogo replied placing a ZPD badge in Nick's lap.


	4. A New Home

_A/N: Wow! Thanks to everyone who has been reading, you guys are awesome! So many amazing people have read, commented, and followed. It's truly humbling to see so many positive reactions_.

The next few days after Chief Bogo's visit went in a blur, countless visitors came and went. Some ZPD officers even stopped in, Wolford and Delgato would bring bagels and other snacks in the morning and Chief Bogo would swing by to do paperwork in the afternoon. All the attention shocked the Fox, he had never been so accepted before, it made his heart swell, maybe he had judged this city wrongly….. That is until he turned on the TV…

Outside of the hospital it seemed the rest of Zootopia wasn't pleased with a formerly savage Fox joining the ranks of the ZPD, especially since he was the only predator to kill in the incident. There was the occasional protests over the Fox not going through formal Academy training, but when it came up in conversation Chief Bogo would always dismiss it with a careless wave. "I'm the Chief here let me make my own decisions, besides if I didn't make you an officer, Hopps would have you out there working on cases as a civilian," the large Water Buffalo would grunt as he riffled through his stacks of paperwork. He was right though, Judy would still drag Nick along with or without a badge.

Although, despite being physically inseparable, Nick could sense the rift that had formed between the pair. Every time he touched her she would jump, even shy away for a split second before settling down. She was still afraid, and it killed him to know it. Not a day went by without his paw lingering over the scratches in his chest at least once, a constant reminder of the pain he caused. The Fox would never admit it in fear of being trapped in the hospital longer, but his sleep had been upset by nightmares and it seemed to only be getting worse.

The nightmare was never the exact same, small details coming and going each time, but the overall theme staying true. Flashes of the torturous scene would play in his head, sending a shudder through his body.

The distorted memory would playback again and again, becoming worse with time. It haunted him at all points of the day, the thought of losing control again, the thought of losing her.

No matter how badly the Fox felt the minute a certain Bunny strolled into the room his troubles evaporated. Countless hours were spent trading simple banter or watching poorly made daytime sitcoms on the room's TV. Much to Judy's dismay she had been put on desk duty until her and her new partner had recovered enough to be put in the field.

Suddenly Nick was pulled from his thoughts as the door to his hospital room was roughly pushed open revealing the broad chest of Officer Stripes. Catching sight of the Tiger Nick rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the thrilling Sci-fi B movie that had been playing on the TV.

"What? No hello for us?" A familiar voice grunted catching Nick's attention, he glanced back at the door to see Wolford and Fangmeyer in step behind Jack's massive frame. A grin spread across the Fox's face, it was always nice to see the pair of Wolves. The three officers filed into the room, Jack taking his usual chair, the other two leaned against the far wall.

"What brings you fine members of the ZPD to my humble abode?" Nick questioned playfully, his trademark cocky smile spread across his muzzle.

"I wanted to talk to you about Judy," Jack growled, his tone turning Nick's veins to ice. "I've seen how close you guys are now, and I just wanted to say if you ever hurt her you're dead meat."

"W-What do you mean, I would never hurt he-," Nick started to protest but fell silent after his paw instinctively pressed against the now scarred over scratches in his chest. Wolford let out a sigh and crossed the room to put a paw on the Fox's shoulder.

"Basically what Jack is trying to say is, we care a lot about Judy, that little Bunny is the glue that holds this department together now. If you guys are going to continue with your relationship, you better be good to her," Wolford explained giving his friend a light punch on his shoulder.

"Relationship?" Nick asked uncertainly, not sure if he heard correctly what the Wolf had said. Fangmeyer let out a snort before pushing off the wall and stalking out of the room, it wasn't worth his time to hang around. Jack was about to explain when a nurse turned the corner and entered the room.

"Mr. Wilde, we are ready to release you," the Gazelle announced, glancing down at the clipboard in her hooves. Glancing over at Jack, Wolford nodded to the door, the Tiger sighed then followed his companion for the hospital room.

Nick shielded his eyes with one paw as he gingerly pushed the hospital's front door open. A blast of fresh air hit the Fox, ruffling his reddish orange fur bringing a smile to his face. Taking a deep breath he stepped out into downtown Zootopia and right into Judy Hopps.

"Watch where you're tromping dumb Fox," Judy teased giving her friend a light punch on his arm. Nick responded with a hurt look, trying his best puppy dog eyes out. The Bunny giggled and leaned against Nick, one of her gray ears flopping on his shoulder. A blush crept onto the Fox's muzzle as he glanced down at his companion, his thoughts drifting back to what Wolford had said earlier.

"C'mon Nick, let's get you home," Judy whispered leaving the Fox's side to open the door to her cruiser that was parked by the curb a few feet away. When Nick didn't follow the Bunny glanced behind her to find him staring at the ground. "What's wrong partner?" She pried, hopping back to his side.

"I-I don't have a home," the Fox muttered, his voice low and embarrassed. Judy's ears perked up and she placed a hand on her companion's shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"That bridge you found me under, that's my home…. I lived in the warehouse nearby," Nick whispered, still not meeting Judy's gaze. The Bunny's breath caught in her throat and she wrapped her arms around Nick in a warm embrace.

"Well for now your home is with me," She whispered, her voice muffled by Nick's reddish orange fur.

 _A/N: There you go! We finally get to leave the hospital, hooray for a new setting! I'll start working on the next chapter as soon as this is posted. Thanks everyone!_


	5. Fond Memories

_A/N: Alright guys, before we begin I just wanted to say for the ease of my story I will be changing Judy's apartment. It will remain a small pad, but instead it will have a bathroom, kitchen, and actual bedroom, plus the living room/bedroom she already has. Sorry for straying away from the canon, but it's wayyyy easier for me this way._

Also, I've noticed a few questions over Nick and his attendance of the Academy, once again I'm changing a few things around in the story to allow a streamlined story. Nick has been temporarily placed on the force until he recovered enough to attend the Academy, I'm pretty sure this wouldn't work IRl. Natasel is correct though, it is procedure for all recruits to go through the academy, this is true for real police forces as well. I promise I won't make up too much more, it was just easier for the current story I'm working on. Thanks guys!

The drive back to Judy's apartment seemed to drag on, it didn't help that she took at least two wrong turns on the way there. Nick remained silent for most of the ride, only letting out an occasional comedic quip about Bunny drivers every now and then. It didn't help that every time Judy got behind another car it slowed down well below the speed limit, infuriating the Bunny to no end.

"Why does everyone think I'm going to pull them over, you can go the speed limit!" Judy exclaimed slamming on brakes as the yellow car in front of her dropped to ten below. Nick snickered and bit his tongue trying to resist making a joke about road rage. The Bunny stuck her tongue out at her companion playfully before she pulled the car into a parking space in front of her house and killed the engine.

"So this is where Judy Hopps lives?" Nick mused, his green eyes taking in the large brick apartment complex he found himself standing in front of. The building was fairly plain, around five stories tall and made out of a reddish brown brick with small windows that faced the street. It wasn't the nicest place he had seen, but certainly not the worst.

"Don't get too excited, it's not great," Judy sighed, her thoughts drifting to her small apartment awaiting them, she was suddenly rethinking having the Fox stay with her. "Well, it's not living under a bridge so I'm not complaining," Nick replied giving his companion a friendly nudge. A smile lit up Judy's face, her hesitation evaporating almost immediately.

The climb up to Judy's apartment was tedious, the pair running into multiple tenants on the stairs to the third floor. A goofy smirk had formed on Nick's muzzle as he watched the various mammals do a double take as they stalked by. The red Fox assumed Judy didn't have that many guests, especially of his type.

"Here we go, home sweet home," Judy announced, her paw opening a wooden door labeled, '219'. Nick's ears perked up, his green eyes peering into the room that his companion just opened. He could make out the interior of a plainly decorated living room that sat directly inside the open doorway.

"Well, are you going to come in or are you staying out there?" Judy questioned, her voice muffled from somewhere inside the apartment. The Bunny's voice pulled Nick from his thoughts, sighing he stepped inside pulling the door shut behind him.

The apartment was small, but it wasn't like a bunny needed anything more. The living room was sparsely decorated, a couch and book covered ottoman being the only furniture in the room. Taking note of the lack of a TV, Nick turned to the kitchen to find Judy sitting on the white counter top, her feet swinging.

"It's not much, but it's home," she whispered, casting her eyes down, suddenly embarrassed by the simplicity of her apartment.

"It's perfect dumb Bunny," Nick laughed, his eyes exploring every corner of the small home. It was plain, Judy cleary wasn't one for decorating, the cabinets were painted a pale white that made the dark wood floors stand out. Nothing else in the kitchen really stood out, it honestly looked like there wasn't much cooking going on.

"There's only one bedroom, so unfortunately you have to stay on the couch," Judy explained, a twinge of guilt in her soft tone. Nick glanced behind him at the small, red couch that she had just pointed out. It was small, clearly made for a mammal her size, it would be a little cramped, but still comfortable.

"It's better than what I'm used to, I haven't had a proper bed since mom die-," Nick started, but trailed off, his mood shifting considerably. Judy's ears twitched, picking up on the Fox's suddenly mellow tone.

"Tell me about your mom, I've never heard you talk about her," Judy whispered, her voice careful and friendly. When Nick didn't answer she slid off the counter and moved to his side, a slight gasp escaped her throat when she sighted tears on the Fox's cheeks. Without a word Judy took her friend's paws and lead him over to the couch, she could feel his hands shaking in her own as they say down.

"S-she was a wonderful woman, truly a blessing to the rambunctious young kit I was," Nick sighed after wiping away the salty tears from his eyes. "Her name was Lily, she had me when she was young, eighteen or nineteen maybe. My dad ran out on us when she broke the news to him, shortly after her parents kicked her out so she moved to the city."

More tears formed in the corners of Nick's green eyes as he stared ahead wistfully, his mind in a memory from long ago. "I had a hard childhood, but without her it would've been impossible. We were definitely poor, but I never went hungry, she made sure of that… even if she didn't eat…" Suddenly the Fox fell silent, his green eyes staring down at his trembling paws. A lump formed in Judy's throat as she moved her hands into Nick's, wrapping her small fingers around his.

"She died when I was twelve, ran over by a drunk driver on her way home from work. I was put into a halfway home after that, but no one wants a Fox so when I turned sixteen they put me out on the street." Nick's voice had begun to waver, his paws tightened to fists around Judy's hands. "I-I miss her so much" he sobbed, his usually cool demeanor melting away.

"It's okay," Judy cooed, her mind scrambling for a way to soothe the Fox, so far she was pulling nothing but blanks. Instinctively her hands slid to the nape of Nick's neck, massaging the thick fur that covered his body. Feeling the tension leave the Fox's body, Judy guided his head down so it was resting lightly in her lap. A small smile crossed the Bunny's lips as she stroked her companion's neck as his body shook with every sob, who would've thought that a Bunny would be consoling a Fox.

Time slipped by slowly for Judy as she continued to run her hands over Nick's neck, after awhile his sobs stopped, only to be replaced by slow, rhythmic breathing. The Bunny smiled in content as her breathing slowed to match the rise and fall of Nick's chest, it had been a long day. Her leg ached slightly, just enough of a dull throb to be painful, it was time for more medicine. At the moment pain was the last thing on her mind, all she could focus on was the sleeping Fox in her lap.

Unable to fend off her drowsiness any longer Judy's eyes slid shut, her body giving in to the sweet release of sleep.

 _A/N: Hey there guys! Sorry for the late update, been really busy with work recently. I hope you enjoyed this newest chapter, as always thanks for reading! Like and follow for more, and as always please comment, I want to hear your voices!_


	6. Injuries and Crazy Days

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, I wanted this to be a longer chapter because I Have some big news. I'm going to split this story up into arcs, I don't know how long each one will be, but, this is the first. Thank you so much for reading!

Okay! I'm sure some might notice that this chapter was posted and removed, I apologize for that. I had a reader, not sure if they want to have their name posted, point out a few things I missed. I just wanted to take some time to thank them, and also to say I'm sorry for taking so long to update. My work just had a large festival called Tuck Fest, and I was incredibly busy with that. Anyways, thanks for reading once again, please enjoy.

Judy groaned sleepily as she reached up and groggily rubbed the sleep from her purple eyes. The movement made her neck ache and she moved to massage away the soreness that had set in over night. Suddenly confusion overtook the Bunny's mind as she cracked an eye open and glanced around the room, she wasn't in her bed. In fact she was sat on her red sofa, a large blanket wrapped around her small frame.

"Good morning sleepyhead, you weren't awake yet so I started breakfast," Nick's voice announced from the kitchen, bringing Judy back to reality.

"D-Did I fall asleep on you?" She questioned, still rubbing the twinge from her neck. Judy's mind was racing, trying to piece together what had happened, all she could remember is falling asleep.

"I think I fell asleep on you actually, woke up sometime in the night. I didn't have it in me to wake up someone who looks so adorable in their sleep, so I made a cot," Nick explained motioning to a small pallet of blankets and pillows beside the couch. Judy decided to let the adorable comment slide, for now… instead she clumsily rose to her feet, careful to not upset her sore neck and throbbing leg.

"Your injuries haven't seemed to slow you down much," Judy commented as she stretched her leg out in front of her, the wound flaring in protest. Nick paused and glanced down at the white bandages that wrapped around his forearm, his features twisting in disdain to the wound.

"The rib is the worst, aches like a sledgehammer headache," The Fox replied tapping his abdomen gingerly, even the smallest touch send waves of pain through his body.

"We should really wrap that up, it would help a little. In fact we should change out all our bandages, it's probably overdue," Judy declared, inspecting the white gauze that was wrapped tightly around the majority of her left arm. It had been a day since the bandages had been changed, she was sure the field manual dictated that they be changed daily.

"If you have any be my guest," Nick replied with a grunt, turning his attention back to the toast he just scorched. Cursing under his breath the Fox reached for two more pieces of bread only to find the bag empty. "Sorry, I didn't expect company," Judy explained catching sight of the disappointment on Nick's face.

"It's okay though, I know a good place that's not far!" Judy added quickly, trying to pick up the Fox's mood. "I guess it couldn't hurt, wanted to impress you with my master chef skills though," Nick replied with a shrug as he scraped a piece of burnt toast off into the trash can.

"You're getting new bandages before we go anywhere though," Judy exclaimed, grabbing Nick's tail before he could escape from the apartment's front door. Letting out a loud yipe Nick spun around and snatched his tail back from the Bunny. "A little dramatic aren't we?" Judy teased giving her sulking companion a wink.

"What if I savagely animal-handle your fluffy little cotton tail?" Nick threatened, playfully lunging for the white tuft that stuck out of Judy's blue jeans. The bunny let out a surprised squeak and hopped out of the Fox's reach trying her best to hide the blush that was played across her cheeks. "Not so tough now are we?" Nick teased, a goofy grin spreading across his muzzle. Suddenly the Fox's smile disappeared as he noticed the white gauze wrapped around his arm steadily turning crimson.

"Bandages NOW," Judy ordered fiercely, pointing to her bedroom. Nick sighed and fell in step behind the Bunny as she marched him into the room. "Stay here while I get everything," Judy sighed disappearing into the bathroom that was connected to her bedroom. Taking advantage of his time alone Nick glanced around the room, taking everything he could in.

The room was simply decorated like the rest of the apartment, the only furniture being a small bed, a nightstand, and a large dresser tucked into the corner. Once again the Fox noted the lack of a TV, looked like Judy hadn't realized the miracle of crappy sitcoms.

"Let's get that arm unwrapped," Judy instructed, making her way back into the room medkit in hand. Nick silently complied and reached up to slowly peel off the stained layers of gauze, the sudden movement made him hiss in pain. "Here let me, I'm a little more careful," Judy whispered, moving her small paws to Nick's arm, pulling the rest of the bandages off carefully. The wound underneath brought a gasp from Judy's throat, her hand brushing gingerly over the shaved skin. The injury was worse than Nick put on, his breath hiking every time Judy brushed his exposed arm. With shaky hands the Bunny gently wrapped a white bandage tightly around Nick's forearm, being careful to avoid hurting him.

"There, got that one all done. Wasn't so bad," Judy teased lightheartedly as she finished tying off the gauze. Nick mumbled his thanks, obviously still sour about his injuries. Although the Fox would never admit it, he was thankful to have Judy by his side.

The short silence that had fallen over the pair was suddenly shattered by the ear piercing melody of Judy's ringtone. The Bunny jumped in surprise, her small paws scrambling to answer the buzzing phone.

"Hopps, I need you and Wilde back at the station immediately. Don't talk to anyone on the way here, just get in your squad car and lock the doors," Chief Bogo ordered, his voice crackly and distant over the phone. A mixture of confusion and fear washed over Judy, driving a knot into her stomach. "Understood, we're on the way," she replied shakily, there was no response from Bogo, just the silent click of the line disconnecting.

Nick watched his companion carefully, something was wrong he could feel it. Everything about how the Bunny was acting screamed that she was afraid. His ears instinctively flattened, a feeling of dead sinking into his heart.

"We need to move now, leave everything and head for the car," Judy ordered, her police instincts kicking in. The Fox nodded in silence and slipped out of the room leaving her alone. Swallowing her fear she quickly moved to follow Nick out of the apartment.

The drive to the ZPD headquarters was tense, the pair unsure of what to expect. Something about the chief was off, it wasn't like him to crack like that. The streets of Zootopia were unusually quiet as the squad car glided by, it almost seemed like most of the animals had just disappeared.

Judy's breath caught in her throat as she brought the car to a stop in it's regular spot in front of the police station. Standing on the steps of the station was a mob of reporters, waiting with cameras in hand. The second the pair stepped out of the squad car they found themselves surrounded.

"Officer Hopps! What do you have to say about the attack?" Someone demanded, forcing microphone into Judy's face, she had barely a second to react before another reporter shoved himself forward. "Do you have any comments on Mr. Wilde?" "What do you think about the footage that was released today?"

Judy's breaths came in quick gasps as she looked around desperately for Nick in the flurry of cameras and flashes of light. She caught sight of his red fur before her vision was obscured by a large Beaver shoving a camera in front of her. Everything blurred together as more and more questions were asked, so many voices that Judy couldn't even begin to focus on just one.

Suddenly Judy felt a hand close down on her wrist, she whirled to throw off whoever it was only to find Nick pulling her through the crowd. In front of him was Officer Stripes, his large frame splitting the mob of reporters. breaking free from the horde Judy felt her breath come rushing back to her, she gasped in the cool air suddenly very thankful for her personal space.

"Let's go Hopps," Jack ordered, holding the door for her and Nick to slip inside away from the crowd outside. As soon as the door shut Judy sighed and buried her head in Nick's shoulder, her heart beating out of her chest. The Fox's fingers were still intertwined with hers, something she was silently thankful for.

"Sorry about that, the situation got a bit worse than we anticipated," Jack apologized from his spot beside the door they had just entered. "What the hell is going on?" Nick demanded, his tone low and serious.

"There's a debrief for the whole situation in thirty, we're meeting in the bullpen. For now the Chief wants you in his office," Jack explained, his usually collected voice strained and filled with emotion. The large Tiger lingered for a few seconds before he turned and stalked away in the direction of the locker rooms, his tail twitching in annoyance. Finally getting control of her breathing, Judy reluctantly pulled away from Nick and glanced around the station. Other than the two of them it was unusually empty, even Clawhauser's desk stood empty, only a half eaten box of doughnuts showing that the Cheetah was ever there.

"Let's get to the Chief's office," Judy whispered, her voice barely audible even to Nick's immaculate hearing.

The door to Chief Bogo's office was already open for the pair when they arrived, the large Water Buffalo sitting behind his desk, his arms folded. When the pair entered he glanced up from the case file he was riffling through.

"Things have gotten quite ugly recently," he grunted as the two smaller mammals clambered into a chair together, each of them taking a arm. "What do you mean sir? What happened? " Judy questioned, trying to get a grasp of the situation. Chief Bogo didn't reply, instead he picked up a remote that was sitting on his desk and flicked on the TV hanging in the corner of the room.

"Once again ladies and gentlemen, this footage is graphic, viewer discretion is advised," an news anchor announced shuffling a stack of papers in front of him, seconds later the screen switched to a grainy security cam footage.

Nick's mouth went dry as he watched the black and white video, as he watched himself. Judy had already slipped out of the hiding spot he had put her in, every fiber in his being wanted to scream for her to run, to get away. Instead she continued to slowly advance, her arm outstretched towards the snarling Fox. Suddenly Nick watched himself lunge forwards, his jaws closing down on Judy's arm. No sound came from the TV as the Bunny fought him away, but he could imagine the screams, it made him sick. Relief swelled in Nick's chest as he watched Judy wriggle free, her dull claws digging into his chest to do so. Managing to get free, Judy turned and sprinted for the vent she had just exited. Before she made it Nick lunged and caught the back of her neck with his claws, raking them down her back tearing through fabric and flesh alike. The video ended with a terrified Judy slamming the vent shut, leaving Nick snarling on the other side.

"That was leaked last night, we still haven't found who released it. Now the city's in turmoil, especially with Bellwether, and activist groups like her's stirring the pot. They've started an online movement called 'Pray for the Prey', and it's spreading like a wildfire." Chief Bogo grumbled, cutting off the television. A silence fell over the group as the Water Buffalo shuffled some papers around on his desk. "There's been twenty-one violent crimes towards Predators in the past twelve hours, this trend is expected to continue. We need to get a hold on this situation, or it will hit a boiling point."

"U-Understood Chief," Judy mumbled, her body still shaking from the video. Subconsciously her fingers had found themselves tracing the bandages that wrapped around her forearm.

"Listen, don't let that bother you," Bogo sighed, motioning to the TV. "It's in the past, nothing can be done except move forward." Both Judy and Nick nodded in unison, their eyes cast down, afraid to catch the other's gaze. "Head for the bullpen, briefing is in five."

The usually short walk downstairs seemed to take forever as the pair trudged down the stairs in silence. Questions bounced and whirled around their heads, but neither felt it in themselves to speak first. Finally Judy reached out and gently placed her hand on Nick's arm, her paw sinking into the red fur.

"I know you're probably not going to listen to me, but the Chief is right. You can't let what happened in that video bother you, it's already happened," Judy whispered, her voice quiet. Nick didn't respond, instead he moved to pull away but the Bunny's grip held firm on his arm. "It bothers me that it happened in the first place, that I hurt you," Nick replied quickly, his green eyes staring forwards.

"Dumb Fox, you did it to protect me," Judy reiterated, her grip tightening on her companion's arm. No matter how many times she said it, Nick couldn't seem to get it through his thick head.

"You keep telling me that! Even though you're scared of me now, just like before," Nick snapped suddenly, his mood turning in an instant. "What do you mean scared of you?" Judy demanded, her voice rising in response to the Fox's sudden aggression.

"Anytime I touch you, you slink away or flinch. What? Are you waiting for me to attack again?" Nick hissed, wrenching his arm loose from his companion's grip. Suddenly anger welled up in Judy's stomach and she jumped in front of the Fox, stopping him from continuing down the hallway.

"You stupid Fox! Why is it you assume that anytime something happens I'm going to be afraid of you? I'm not some cowardly little Bunny that's going to roll over when a big bad predator shows up!" Judy exclaimed, jabbing a small paw into Nick's chest forcing him back a step. "I flinch and shy away when you're near because-because…." The Bunny continued but quickly trailed off when she realized what she almost let out.

"Because what?" Nick pried, his temper fading away as quickly as it had appeared. Suddenly Judy was in his arms, burying her small head into the fabric of his button up. "Because I think I'm falling in love with you."

Nick almost couldn't believe his ears, which is strange due to his excellent hearing. How could Judy Hopps, the best officer of the ZPD be in love with a con artist of a Fox like him, it just didn't make sense. He didn't know what to say, his mind was racing to come up with anything but only pulled up blanks. "What?" He managed dumbly, his over burdened mind failing to process the battery of information.

"Silly Fox, you heard me," Judy laughed, pulling away from the embrace to give her companion a gentle nudge with her elbow. Any anger that remained drained away quickly, the pair slowly returning to their usual easy going ways. The Fox thought of prying into the subject more, but it was the time nor place to do so, besides they would have plenty of time to talk later.

"I had planned to interrupt if things got worse, but it looks like you two figured it out," Jack Stripes grunted from his open office door causing the pair to jump in surprise.

"Sorry, Jack, I didn't mean for you to hear all that," Judy apologized, her purple eyes staring down at the white tile floor. The large Tiger merely shrugged and turned back to his desk. "It's kind of hard not to hear when someone's arguing in front of your door," he sighed collapsing in the large chair that set behind his desk.

"Hey Stripes, are you okay?" Nick questioned, his nose catching whiff of the offending smell of blood coming from the officer's room. Jack responded with a dismissive wave as he turned his attention back to a medkit that was sitting on his desk. The Tiger carefully lifted a small rag and placed it over his right eye, wincing a little when it touched his skin.

"Are you bleeding?" Judy asked in concern, taking a step into the room. "I caught a camera or something to the head from that crowd earlier, nothing major," Jack responded with a slight shrug. Judy had her doubts over the injury being major or not, but there was no way she could talk the Bengal Tiger into letting her help.

"Stop worrying, Hopps, I took a lot worse before you were ever part of the force," Jack grunted, noticing the Bunny's doubtful gaze. Judy sighed and leaned up against her fellow officer's desk letting him return to treating his injury.

"You a Gazelle fan?" Nick asked suddenly, his question grabbing the attention of the other two mammals. The Fox was holding a framed picture of what appeared to be Jack posing with the famous pop singer. "I-I uhh, knew her at one time," Jack replied quickly as he placed a small bandage over the gash in the corner of his eye.

"You alway dress like one of her dancers?" The Fox pried, his eyebrow raising incredulously. The Tiger shifted uncomfortably before reaching out to shut the medkit that was on his desk.

"Before I joined the force, I was a stage performer. I worked with Gazelle a few times," he finally grumbled, crossing his arms defensively. Nick stifled a laugh as he sat the picture frame back down on the desk where it was quickly snatched away by one of Jack's paws. Judy giggled softly watching the flustered Tiger stuff the picture somewhere deep into a desk drawer.

"Hey, Bogo wants us in the bullpen on the double," Wolford grunted, sticking his gray head into the room saving Jack from any further embarrassment. Before Nick could pick on him anymore the Tiger had bounced to his feet and disappeared through the door with surprising agility.

"C'mon sly Fox, let's get moving," Judy laughed following her fellow officer out of the room, a smirk crossed Nick's lips and he quickly fell in step behind the Bunny.

The bullpen was unusually quiet, the commonly unruly officers sitting at the desks in silence. There was was a tense sensation hanging in the air, causing even the most grizzled officer's nerves to tingle. Judy shifted uncomfortably and glanced over at her companion who was sharing the overly large chair with her. The sight of Nick brought a feeling of calm seep into her, what's the worst that could happen with him on her side?

"At ease, everyone remained seated," Chief Bogo barked, throwing the door to the bullpen open with a bang causing Judy to jump in surprise. The officers did as they were told and remained still, their eyes trained on the huge Water Buffalo. "As you all know we are standing on the edge of a disaster, one wrong move and we'll be knee deep in the shit."

""There's a growing resentment towards Predators, and things have already turned violent. Currently we have twenty-one reported assault cases and one murder that just came in, things are getting bad. Here at the ZPD we've sworn to protect everyone, Predator and Prey alike, so we're going to do just that." Chief Bogo continued as he organized a stack of folders on the briefing desk. "Everyone has received orders already, except for Hopps and Stripes" Judy glanced up, her ears perking at the mention of her name.

"Stripes, you've got a special assignment, we'll discuss it in my office after briefing," Bogo grunted, his gaze shifting over to the Tiger who nodded in response. "And Hopps, you're to get Wilde here ready for the Academy, he ships as soon as his injuries are healed." A few mumbles sounded through the room as some of the officers finally notice the Fox's presence.

"Alright, everyone's dismissed, good luck officers," Chief Bogo thundered before turning to lumber out of the small room. One by one the officers began to trickle out until Judy found herself alone with Nick.

"He seemed pretty cheerful," the Fox joked trying to ease the tense mood that Bogo had left hanging over the room. Judy smiled a little and nodded in agreement, leave it to Nick to always have a clever comment.

"C'mon dumb Fox, let's head home," Judy sighed placing her hand in Nick's letting their fingers intertwine.

A/N: All done! What did you guys think? Please let me know, I hope it all went well. I'm going to be busy with work for the next few days, so arc two might be a little bit of a wait but it will come. I plan to make the story a little more tense, but also keep a healthy amount of fluff as well. There will be some more OC's other than Jack Stripes, but they won't mess up any of the cannon, just some more officers and the like. Anyways, I'm rambling. Please leave a comment, like, or follow if you enjoyed! Thanks so much!


	7. Back At It (Arc 2)

_A/N: Wow, sorry for the wait guys. I've been super busy trying to keep ahead of work, and still have time to write on the side. My plan is to release longer chapters, but, this also means there may be a longer wait for each one. I'll try and keep the time down, hopefully this will work out and not backfire on me._

 _On a unrelated note! Yes, Hunter, I currently work at the U.S National Whitewater Center. Although, not for too much longer seeing as I've applied to another local business while I wait on the CMPD Academy to process me._

 _Okay, this is the last addition, I promise! No idea what happened with that repeat chapter, I uploaded the correct file and it even went through correctly on my other website. Sorry about that, and thanks to the readers that pointed it out so fast! I'll double check what posts from now on._

Officer Judy Hopps yawned and reached up to sleepily rub her tired eyes. In front of her sat a mess of paperwork and case files haphazardly scattered across the ottoman that sat in her living room. It was a late night, her wristwatch making sure that was painfully obvious every time it flashed the time in a dim, red pulse. Glancing over Judy caught sight of her partner, Nick Wilde, fast asleep on his side of the couch. A smirk crossed her face, 'so much for Fox's being nocturnal,' she thought, watching the rise and fall of his chest.

"Hard to believe it's already been a year," Judy marveled aloud, her purple eyes scanning the Fox's blue police uniform. Nick had graduated from the academy a few months ago, he was immediately made Judy's partner and placed under her care as a rookie. Shortly after Nick's arrival, they were tasked with hunting down a few nasty members of an activist group called, 'Pray for the Prey,'

Working together with Nick was easy, the hard part was keeping their budding relationship secret from the rest of the force. So far they had been successful, with only Jack Stripes managing to figure out the pair's secret. The Tiger had sworn the secret was safe with him, and Judy genuinely believed him.

Suddenly Nick stirred pulling Judy from her thoughts and back into the real world. They had been tracking down a lead on their case, so far it had not been going as planned leaving the pair exhausted after running across half the city. Nick had been a trooper, but after twenty-nine hours on the job he had finally hit his limit, leaving the Fox slumped over the couch, his snores echoing through the apartment. The Bunny let out a sigh and glanced at her partner, her purple eyes sparkling in amusement over the Fox's disheveled uniform and ruffled fur.

"You're drooling stupid Fox," Judy commented, poking her companion's tail with a gray paw. The sudden assault on his tail tore Nick from his slumber with a jump, his paws flailing wildly trying to fend off his attacker. Judy snorted, watching the Fox squirm weakly before stopping to stare at her in sleepy confusion. "Why are you so mean? Spiteful little Bunny," Nick grumbled, shooting Judy a playful glare from his side of the couch.

"If you're not going to help me work, then go to bed and stop distracting me," Judy shot back, her eyes shifting back to the pile of papers scattered out in front of her. Nick chuckled and pushed himself up so he was sitting beside the Bunny, his fur brushing her's ever so slightly.

"Keep working like this and that little brain of yours might explode," the Fox teased, giving Judy's temple a light tap further annoying her. Letting out a huff the Bunny scooted across the couch, trying to distance herself from the giggling Fox, to her dismay he quickly followed.

"Look Nick this case isn't going to solve itself, I can't stop now," Judy sighed running a paw over the nape of her neck, massaging the sore skin.

"Hopps, you always try and take the world on all by yourself," Nick groaned placing a hand between his companion's gray ears. The sudden movement made the Bunny jump sending the handful of pictures she was holding scattering over the floor, she moved to pick them up but was stopped by the Fox's spare paw.

"You're going to take a break cottontail," Nick ordered poking Judy's nose playfully making the Bunny scrunch her face. Before she could protest Nick had pulled her off the couch and pushed her across the wooden floor towards her bedroom.

"I don't suppose you're going to leave me alone if I refuse," Judy grumbled crossing her arms, the Fox replied with one of his signature grins. His message was clear, there was no use for the Bunny to argue, it would be pointless.

"Fine, you win. But, I'll be back at it first thing in the morning," Judy vowed stalking out of the room leaving the Fox sitting in the living room alone.

"Well… Time to get to work," Nick groaned, stretching the soreness from his muscles.

Judy Hopps groaned and turned over in her bed, trying to escape the encroaching beams of light that managed to infiltrate the drawn blinds that cut off her room from the outside world. Suddenly the Bunny cracked an eye and peered around the room sleepily, taking in the afternoon light that flooded the small bedroom. Her clock flashed one-fifteen in bright red numbers, pulling an exasperated groan from the Bunny's throat.

"Why is it so late?" Judy grumbled, pushing herself up from the warm cocoon of covers that were sloppily thrown across her bed. She stumbled across the wooden floor on unsteady feet, her head still swimming from sleep. Reaching her door she tiptoed into the loving room only to find Nick, still dressed in his uniform, snoring softly on the couch.

"So, what happened to us needing sleep?" The Bunny questioned, leaning against the doorway of her bedroom. The sound of her voice brought the Fox awake with a snort, his green eyes staring ahead in a sleepy daze. Judy giggled at Nick's drowsy yawns and made her way into the kitchen giving her companion a chance to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"I said you needed sleep," Nick griped back, sitting up on the couch to stretch the stiffness from his neck and shoulders. Although he had never had the best sleeping conditions in the past, he could say with absolute certainty that Judy's couch slept like a rock. The small red couch was deceiving, it's dainty red cushions drawing in an unaware mammal with promises of comfort, before revealing that it was apparently stuffed with concrete. Content with the various cracks and pops that came from his neck, Nick turned his attention to the apartment's small kitchen.

"Looks like we're going by Moe's for breakfast… Or, lunch I guess…" Judy commented, her voice muffled from the fridge that she had her head shoved into. Sleep wasn't the only thing this case was robbing from the pair, it took away any spare time they had to restock the kitchen, or even begin to think about cooking a decent meal. Judy herself wasn't a great cook, growing up she would always be in the woods with her brothers instead of learning to cook and clean with all of her sisters and cousins. Nick, on the other hand had apparently mastered the art of cooking, his skillful hands able to craft delicious meals that his partner had never even heard of.

"I'm going to change into a fresh uniform, you should do the same," the Fox replied with a smirk, his green eyes scanning the Bunny's haphazard appearance. Last night she only managed to change out of her ZPD shirt and vest leaving her in a loose fitting pajama shirt and her tight fitting duty pants, the coarse fabric clinging to her curves nicely. The Bunny blushed deeply as Nick admired her, she moved towards her bedroom but was stopped when the Fox placed a hand on her arm.

"I've never told you how good you look in those pants." Nick teased before planting a light kiss on his companion's forehead, the gray fur tickling his nose slightly. Judy cheeks burned as she moved a hand up Nick's chest, her mind imaging the feel of his fur underneath the blue fabric.

"And I don't mention enough how handsome you are in that uniform," she whispered before pulling the Fox down for a kiss by his black dress tie. The couple held the romantic embrace for a few seconds before pulling apart, each of their cheeks burning.

"So, uhh, I need to get dressed," Nick mumbled, bringing both of them snapping back to reality, he was right. Judy nodded in agreement as the Fox slipped past, making his way to his room. 'He really does look good in that,' Judy mused, her purple eyes following the Fox until he disappeared into the doorway that led to his bedroom.

The ZPD headquarters was unusually quiet as Nick and Judy made their way across the cool marble floor to Clawhauser's central desk. The Cheetah was typing away furiously on his computer, his brow furrowed in concentration. As the two officers drew closer he glanced up, a smile tore across his face catching sight of the pair.

"Oh, thank goodness. Chief Bogo was pacing a hole in the floor waiting on you two," Clawhauser declared clasping his hands together in a dramatic fashion. Usually the portly Cheetah's over the top mannerisms were entertaining to witness, his outbursts bringing a chuckle to even the most grizzled of the ZPD's veterans. Today was another story altogether, something had the large cat nervous, this was made clear by the large box of half eaten doughnuts that sat on his desk.

"What's the sitch Benji my man?" Nick questioned cooly, his green eyes scanning the Cheetah's messy desk. Being in total view of the public, the secretary's desk was usually well kept and free of clutter, but in lieu of the past few stressful weeks the desk was littered with stacks of papers, case files, and old fast food wrappers.

"There's some new officers here, and they don't look friendly. From what I've heard they're part of a special investigations unit," Clawhauser mumbled through the mouthful of doughnut that he had just attempted to swallow whole. "Chief Bogo is in the bullpen along with the officers who are back from patrol, you should probably head that way," he finished, finally managing to wolf down the chunks of frosted dough.

"Thanks Clawhauser, we'll bring you some snacks next time," Judy commented as she started in the direction the rotund Cheetah had indicated. Nick gave a sly wink before turning to follow his partner leaving Clawhauser at his desk dreaming of the wonderful snacks that a certain Bunny officer would one day bring him.

"Hey Wilde, Hopps," Jack Stripes barked from somewhere down on of the ZPD's stretching hallways, his voice echoing across the tile. The two officers paused letting the large Tiger catch up to them, his duty belt jangling loudly.

"What's going on man? Why the rush?" Nick questioned, as the Tiger leaned against the hallway's white plaster wall to catch his breath. Jack held up a sizable paw, still gulping in mouthfuls of air.

"There's some Internal Affairs agents sniffing around here, Chief Bogo wants us in the bullpen on the double," Jack huffed finally. Nick and Judy exchanged worried glances, having members of the IA didn't bode well for their relationship, had someone turned them in?

"Don't worry, I don't think you two are in any danger. I haven't let your secret slip, besides, they would have to make it through Bogo first," the Tiger added quickly after noticing the pairs glances. Despite her companion's reassurance, Judy couldn't help but feel uneasy. First the new officers, and now the IA was sniffing around, something wasn't right.

"Thanks for the heads up. Now, let's get to that meeting before Bogo pops a blood vessel," Nick joked lazily, the panic from a few moments ago nowhere to be seen. Judy and Jack both nodded in agreement, the last thing any of them wanted was to be on the bad side of the Chief.

To the three officer's dismay, the meeting in the bullpen was already in progress, meaning they would have to face the wrath of Chief Bogo. Judy was the first one step forward, her small paw pushing the large metal door open tentatively.

"Hopps, stop skulking in the hallway and get in here already," Chief Bogo grumbled from inside the room, his voice muffled from the front of the room. Judy let out a sigh before pushing the door completely open to step into the room, behind her Nick and Jack followed quietly. Chief Bogo's gaze followed the three officers as they quickly took their seats at a table in the back of the briefing room.

"Now, back to business," Bogo continued once he felt that he had given the newcomers a sufficient glaring. "Mayor Fern has decided to send us some help to aide us in these troublesome times, it seems like town hall thinks we can't handle ourselves. Nevertheless, we will be joined by a team of officers from the Federal offices. The agent in charge, Officer Petty Grail, will now take over."

Chief Bogo glanced over his shoulder at a line of officers that were standing against the wall beside him. A brown hare snapped to attention and briskly walked up to the podium, she stopped to stand beside Bogo, her ears almost equal with his elbow. A permanent scowl seemed to be played across her small face as she stared out at the gathered officers. She was dressed in the standard dark blue uniform of the ZPD, what stood out most though was the black plate carrier that was wrapped tightly around her chest. Sewn into the middle of the bulletproof vest was her nameplate, it's text an almost luminescent white.

"Hey Carrots, there's another Bunny," Nick teased elbowing his companion playfully, Judy shot him a scowl before turning her attention back to the podium.

"Officers of the ZPD Central Branch, I am Master Sergeant Petty Grail. I've served with Zootpoia's federal police for seven years, and I'm ready to do anything to protect this city," the Hare snarled, her icy blue eyes boring a hole in each mammal she stopped to glare at, even the largest of the mammals couldn't hold her gaze.

"To my right is Officer Cliff Breckenridge, he follows my orders and mine alone," Grail continued, indicating a lanky White Wolf that was leaning against the room's back wall. Judy glanced over at the officer and almost gasped in shock, wrapped tightly around the Wolf's neck was a black collar, a small screen set into the dark leather flashed bright red numbers. Breckenridge's snarl matched his partner's almost perfectly, though it seemed to double in ferocity.

"Some of you may have noticed his 'Containment Collar'," the Hare pointed out, her gaze settling on Judy. "Officer Breckenridge is a member of a specially equipped investigation's team, his collar is to protect the good citizen's of Zootopia should he lose control. Each officer standing before you is either like me, a Handler, or they are a Hunter," Grail turned to the seven other officers that stood behind her.

"If you have any questions regarding myself, or any member of my team, please bring it up after the meeting. For now I'll turn the briefing back over to your Chief," the Hare finished, stepping back in line with her fellow officers.

"Listen up everyone, your new assignments and case files are on your desks, I expect you to be working day and night on these. Things are getting serious, so be careful out there," Chief Bogo grunted as he flipped through a small notepad that sat on his podium. "Stripes, Hopps, Wilde, you three stay here, the rest of you are dismissed."

A ball of uneasiness tightened in Judy's abdomen as the room was filled with the sounds of her fellow officers filing out of the room until it was just the three mammals and Bogo. The Water Buffalo let out a long sigh and leveled his gaze at the remaining officers causing them to shift in discomfort.

"I had a agent from Internal Affairs breathing down my neck the entire day because of you three, seems you're secrets out," Chief Bogo growled ominously. Judy's breath caught in her throat as panic began to overtake her body. 'Shit, he knows about us, it's over' her mind screamed, thoughts zooming in and out of her head. Beside her Nick had balled his fists in his blue duty pants, she could almost see his knuckles turning white through his reddish fur.

"According to him, protocol dictates that both offending parties should have their ranks stripped and to be immediately dropped from the force," the Water Buffalo continued, each word driving a feeling of dread deeper into Judy's heart. Suddenly he let out a loud chuckle and casually leaned against his podium.

"I chose to inform him that I didn't give a shit what protocol dictated, there's no way in hell I'd fire my best officers," Chief Bogo laughed. Relief flooded through Judy almost immediately, beside her she could feel Nick relax, a relieved sigh escaping from his lips.

"T-Thank you sir," Judy managed, her heart still almost beating out of her chest.

"But! Keep your lovey-dovey romantic antics to a minimum in the station or while on duty. I can keep the IA off of your personal life, when you're on duty is another story entirely," Chief Bogo added seriously. A silence fell over the gathered officers, none of them sure of what to say next.

"How did they find out about us?" Nick asked finally, his voice breaking the stillness that fell over the room.

"Jack didn't let anything slip if that's what you're wondering. You two haven't exactly been secretive about it, even McHorn noticed, and he didn't even realize Nick was part of the force yet," Bogo grunted as he lumbered over to the room's door. "You three just need to be careful," he finished before stepping out of the room.

"Well then… That was awkward," Jack Stripes grunted from his chair, his large paws drumming on the wooden table.

"Let's all get back to work and forget this ever happened," Judy snapped pushing herself away from the table and stalked out of the room leaving Nick and Jack staring after her.

"Carrots, wait up," Nick huffed as he trod after the Bunny, trying his best to keep up. Instead of answering, Judy threw open the door to their shared office and stormed into the small room.

"Hopps, talk to me. What's going on?" Nick begged. His green eyes stared at his partner in concern as she collapsed into the small office chair that sat behind her desk.

"I-I think I'm having a panic attack," Judy gasped burying her face in her hands. It felt like her heart was beating out of her chest, the sound of each throb pounding in her ears. Nick reached out and gently placed a hand on his partner's shoulder, he could feel her trembling beneath his pad.

"That could've been it, my career… I mean our careers, could of been over right there," Judy breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, making even Nick's excellent hearing strain.

"But they're not Hopps, we're still here," the Fox cooed, trying his best to calm his partner. Judy let out a quiet sigh and wrapped her hand around Nick's paw, her fingers intertwining with his. Thier eyes met, purple lingering on green as time seemed to slow to a crawl to a standstill. She wanted nothing more that to just kiss the Fox, to get lost in his scent, to be held in his tight embrace. But now was not the time, that would come later.

"C'mon Hopsy, let's get to work," Nick teased with a knowing wink, Judy wrinkled her nose and shot the Fox a menacing look; that was one pet name she could live without. But, bad names aside, he was right; they did have work to do.

 _A/N: There we go! Chapter 1 of arc 2 is finished! Next chapter will elaborate more on Officers Grail and Breckenridge, giving them more life in the story. Anyways, thanks for reading_!


	8. A New Lead (Arc 2)

_A/N: Well I suppose I should begin with an apology… No, this story isn't dead, I promise. I had to find a new job, and I ended up working just about everyday of the week, which sapped away all of my time and energy. Fortunately that hell is over and I have a manageable schedule set up. Sorry for the wait, but I'm working on it! I'll have another chapter out soon with even more following it._

The stench of cigarettes hung in the air, it's acidic scent lingering in the small room. Nick Wilde's nose wrinkled in displeasure as the Armadillo sitting across from him lit another 'cancer stick' and took a long drag.

"Look, Mr. Sceletto, we can all move on with our lives if you would just help us out," Nick groaned, his voice weary from being stuck in the stuffy room for what seemed like hours. So far one of the case's main leads had been less than cooperative, only opening his mouth to inhale a lungful of smoke from a cigarette.

Officer Breckenridge let out an audible groan, and shifted in his chair behind Nick. The white Wolf's fur bristled, as he stood up from his seat and moved to lean against the metal table that sat in the center of the room.

"Mr. Sceletto, my colleague is a patient mammal; one who is willing to wait all day for you to start talking," Cliff growled, his sea green eyes boring a hole through the Armadillo.

"He better be patient, cause I ain't talkin'," Sceletto spat back, his accent surprisingly country.

"His patience isn't the one you should be worrying about," Cliff snarled, his white teeth glinting in the light from the room's lone light. Sceletto flinched slightly as the Wolf placed a paw on his head, the sharp claws scraping across his scalp.

"Y-you can't intimidate m-m-me," Sceletto managed to stammer, his body starting to quake in fear as his head was pushed back so he was staring up into the Wolf's eyes.

"I'm not trying to intimidate you, I'm giving you an ultimatum," Cliff growled menacingly as his fingers closed tightly around Sceletto's throat, squeezing just enough to make the Armadillo gasp.

"Officer Breckenridge, what are yo-" Nick started, jumping to his feet to stop what was about to happen.

"Please, for the love of god stop! I'll talk if you get this fucking animal away from me," Sceletto begged desperately, his voice filled with panic.

"That's how you get trash to talk, call me back in if you need our friend here to loosen up some more," Cliff snapped, shoving the Armadillo back into his seat roughly. Nick moved to confront the Wolf, but he had already slipped out of the room. Cursing under his breath, the Fox turned back to his now trembling suspect.

"What the hell was that?" Judy Hopps demanded, her petite frame blocking Cliff from continuing down the hallway. The Wolf let out a low growl, his lips curling back revealing the sharp teeth hidden underneath.

"Well?" Judy insisted bitterly, clearly unintimidated by the Officer's show of force.

"Hopps, if you have a complaint about my Officer please bring it up with me," Petty Grail ordered sharply from further down the hallway. Judy whirled around quickly and locked eyes with the Hare, her purple orbs drilling into icy blue ones.

" **Your** Officer just threatened and abused a citizen under investigation," Judy hissed, jabbing a small finger at the white Wolf behind her. Cliff merely huffed and rolled his eyes, his muscular arms crossing tightly around his chest.

"Remember a mammal named Mr. Weaselton?" Petty asked calmly, leaning against the white wall of the hallway. The Bunny's eyebrows furrowed, her purple eyes staring at the other Officer with disdain.

"I was poking through some of Bogo's private case files, and it seems he decided to omit your little intimidation session inside the home of a known criminal boss from the public record," Petty continued, her tone low and dangerous, each word driving a stake of emotion into Judy's gut. A silence fell over the gathered Officers as Hopps shifted uncomfortably, any bravado she held earlier seeping out of her like a deflated balloon. Breckenridge chuckled grimly as he brushed past Judy, his white fur brushing her arm making her hair stand on end. The Bunny opened her mouth to retort as the two Officers turned to continue down the hallway, a white hot anger welling up inside of her.

"Let it go Carrots," Nick's voice whispered in her ear, his rough paws running over her shoulders massaging the tense muscles. Judy balled her fists in anger, contemplating punching the Hare's face in, but Nick's slow breathing on her neck kept her steady.

"Did we get anything?" The Bunny questioned, her temper fading.

"We got the names of some key members of a local Prey rights group, they might be able to give us some leads on whoever is behind on the recent attacks," Nick replied, reaching into his back pocket to produce a small notepad that had a list of names and locations messily scribbled onto one of it's whitepages. He took a quick glance at it before offering it to his partner who took it with a curt nod.

"Some of these names are pretty big around town, an investigation involving them won't be taken very lightly by the public," Judy commented, her purple eyes scanning over the list of names. So far she recognized three of them; there was Alvin Miller, a rather successful Meerkat that found his fortune in banking. Next on the list was Andrew Luna, a very popular television preacher who led a fanatical church known for their public outcry over interspecies relationships, Predator rights, and various other social issues. Finally there was Paul McKinley, a bull who owned most of the farmlands around Zootopia, including most of Bunny borough.

"It's not going to be easy looking into any of these leads, especially Mr. Luna, the second we touch him we'll have the press breathing down our backs," Judy sighed handing Nick back his notepad. After all the work to get Sceletto in to spill his beans, this is all they managed to get.

"We should start with digging around the public records, I know for a fact Luna and Miller have condemned Predators in public speeches. I'll bet my lucky socks that they've left a paper trail to this little 'club' of theirs somewhere," Nick replied, folding his scratch pad and slipping it into his back pocket.

"You have lucky socks?" Judy snorted, her professionalism vanishing at the peculiar thought.

"It's a figure of speech Carrots," Nick groaned clapping a hand over his eyes. "Besides, I have two pairs thank you very much."

Even with the feeling of uncertainty that hung in the air, the hours seemed to pass slowly in the ZPD's central branch. A tension had settled into the bones of every Officer, leaving them uneasy, something was about to go down. Call it intuition, or even instinct, but everyone felt it; that tight knot deep in their stomach, the fur raising on their arms.

"Looks like Chief decided we should go question Mr. Mckinley, he put Jack and Bronson in charge of finding Luna, and it seems Petty and her lovely partner went after Miller," Nick announced, his green eyes scanning over the screen on the squad car's onboard computer. Judy furrowed her brow as the car glided over the rolling hill that made up Greenfield, a small town on the edge of Zootopia.

"I still don't like other Officers interviewing my suspects," Judy complained, her small hands tightening on the wheel. Sharing a case was something she was never good at, especially with Officers like Grail and Breckenridge.

"At Least this way we can get all three, instead of getting one and spooking the rest," Nick replied positively, trying to point out the best of the situation to his partner. Even though the 'Pray for the Prey' group hadn't been officially linked with the recent attacks on Predators, Nick had a feeling that a few of the members were involved. Everything lined up too perfectly for them not to be, the time spent digging through the Public records had unearthed quite a bit of dirt on the group. It seems they had been protesting Inter-species relationships for the past few years, but they had recently added Predators to the list. Reverend Luna had even went as far to condemn the 'Vile Predators' on national television, and even called for them to be removed from the city.

"Should we be expecting any trouble out of our man?" Judy questioned, her purple eyes scanning the large white walled mansion they had pulled up to. The house was large, much larger than the meager apartment the pair of Officer's could afford together. Nick let out a long whistle, his gaze washing over the estate. Even though he had left his criminal ways behind his mind couldn't help but imagine all the unguarded treasures sitting inside.

"I know what you're thinking Fox, go ahead and get it out of your head," Judy ordered. She had seen that gaze beneath his aviators many times, the slight twinkle in his eyes when he spotted a challenge.

"Old habits die hard I guess," Nick chuckled, scratching the nape of his neck in embarrassment. Judy merely rolled her eyes before opening the door of the squad car to hop out lightly.

"Officer Hopps to Dispatch, we are 10-23. Proceeding with investigation," Judy advised, toggling the receiver that sat on her shoulder.

"This is Dispatch, continue on Officer Hopps. Good luck," Clawhauser's voice replied through the static that came over the radio. Judy frowned, they were just barely inside the operating range of their communications, if things went south the might not be able to get help. ' _Don't think that way Judy, nothing is going to happen,'_ she thought silently, dispelling any worries from her mind.

"Afternoon Officers, what can I do for ya?" a booming voice asked from the house pulling Judy from her thoughts. Standing on the porch was a massive Bull, easily outweighing Nick and Judy… maybe even the squad car too.

"We just have a few questions for you Mr. Mckinley," Judy responded quickly, not intimidated by the Bull's large stature.

"Outside in the heat is no place for askin' anything, come on inside Officers," the Bull rumbled as he opened a large white door and beckoned them inside. The pair exchanged glances before climbing the oversized steps that sat in the front of the home's wraparound porch. Mckinley led them through the open door into a small living room, it's white walls adorned with pictures of what seemed to be family and friends. The Bull sat down in a large armchair before gesturing to a ancient floral print couch that sat across from him.

"Mr. Mckinley, we have a few questions about a political activist group you belong to," Judy began once she was situated, Nick smirked slightly taking note of the small, carrot print notepad she had ready.

"There's no need with the formalities, you can just call me Paul," the Bull began, his blue eyes sparkling lightly. "I assume you're referring to 'Pray for the Prey'."

"That is correct… Paul," Judy replied, still uncomfortable with the use of the Bull's first name.

"It was my Wife, Bernie, who wanted us to start attending the meetings each week," Paul admitted with an audible sigh. "She had been attending Luna's sermons and quickly joined his 'cause'."

"What drew her to his church?" Nick asked, his ears cocking in curiosity. The Bull seemed to hesitate, his blue eyes glancing between the two officers.

"My daughter, Heather…. She fell in love with a Buffalo named Mike…. He was one of my employees, ran the Bunny Borough fields," Paul sighed, his brown hooves clacking together nervously. "I didn't have a problem with it honestly, young love is mysterious, who am I to question it?... But Bernie, she went berserk, was about to kick Heather out on the street if I hadn't stopped her."

"Where is your daughter now, Mr. Mckinley?" Nick questioned, his sharp eyes scanning the Bull for any slight change in emotion. Beside him Judy shifted uncomfortably, this case was starting to hit very close to home.

"She went with Bernie to one of Luna's 'Prayer Camps', I'm not too sure what it is though. My wife is the religious one between us, she decided Heather needed help from God, whatever that means," Paul admitted massaging the back of his massive neck with a hoof.

"How long have they been gone? And where is this 'camp'?" Judy pried, her feet starting to tap rapidly against wooden base of the couch she was sitting on.

"It's coming up on a week now, and Bernie told me they were heading to his outfit over in Pineville. From what I've heard it's a nice old place, just not one I'd be keen on hangin' around," Paul replied slowly, completely unfazed by the Bunny's energetic tapping.

"That's all we needed to know, thank you for being so helpful," Nick announced snapping his notebook closed and tucking it into the pocket of his pants, the Bull merely nodded and stood to show the pair out.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but in my experience it'd be best for me to not ask questions. All I'm going to say is that Luna is a good man, misguided yes, but still a good man," Paul grunted as he opened the front door allowing the two Officers to step outside.

"We'll remember that, once again thank you for your time," Judy replied quickly, the Bull merely gave a simple nod in response before disappearing back inside. The short walk back to the squad car was silent, the pair milling over the information they had just been given.

"I think we need to give Mr. Luna a visit here soon," Nick grunted turning the key to the squad car bringing it to life. He immediately reached over and cranked the A/C to it's lowest setting bringing a smirk to Judy's lips.

"Sounds good to me, hopefully Jack and Bronson haven't roughed him up too much," Judy laughed as Nick pulled the car out of the gravel driveway and on to the main road that would lead them back to the city


	9. Never Been One For Sunday Meetings

_A:N/ Late does not even begin to describe this chapter, sorry is all I am able to say. I recently returned to my full time job at the USNWC which has taken a chunk out of my free time seeing as I spend most of my time at work. Good news is that I am looking into getting a reliable laptop to carry in my day bag so I can work while camping or in my hammock, at the moment I am confined to my bland room and clunky desktop so it's not the best place to get the creative juices flowing. Anyways! Enjoy the new chapter, I'll start on the next one immediately._

 _Also! In order to comply with 's rating system I am bumping this piece up to a M rating to stay safe._

* * *

The ride back into Zootopia seemed to last forever, something about the long country roads seemed to last forever. For Judy it was comforting, she had grown up around empty pastures and rolling hills, it was something she missed while living in the city. Nick on the other hand found the barren landscape unnerving, being a city Fox he was accustomed to the constant hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.

"I can't believe it, we only passed one 'Skunkin Doughnuts' out here, ONE. In our neighborhood alone there's three, how do these people survive out here?" Nick ranted as the squad car drifted through Mayblue, the last town before they would pass into the outskirts of Savannah Central. In the passenger seat Judy giggled and shook her head in amusement over the Fox's ranting.

"Oh dear, is the big bad Fox scared of some simple country living?" Judy teased, giving her partner a wide smile from across the car's interior.

"You poor, poor Bunny," Nick tutted, his sly green eyes twinkling with mischief. "You've clearly been brainwashed into believing that this masochistic lifestyle of utter boredom and unnerving lack of caffeine is normal."

"It's not all that bad out here," Judy shot back crossing her arms. Nick had to stifle a laugh at the pouting Bunny, something about how she had her lower lip puffed out was positively adorable.

"Maybe you can show me around then, show me the wonders of this 'simple living' you speak of," the Fox suggested, his paw moving from the wheel to sit on top of Judy's, a blush spread across the Bunny's face as her fingers intertwined with his. A feeling of bliss fell over the couple as they sat enjoying the other's presence, bliss that was soon shattered.

"Stripes to Dispatch, we have shots fired. I repeat shots fired, need all available units immediately!" Jack's voice wheezed through the radio's static, his usually calm voice filled with panic. Judy felt her heart skip a beat, a icy chill clutching her heart.

"This is Dispatch, all available units report to the West Zootopian church, we have shots fired," Clawhauser advised, pangs of worry apparent in his voice.

"Fuck," Nick swore uncharacteristically as he flipped on the car's sirens, normally Judy would've complained over the sudden acceleration but this wasn't the time. The radio crackled with a chorus of confirmations as surrounding Officers checked in.

"We're the closest to the church, make sure your trauma plates are secured, it's going to be a shit show," Nick hissed, his paws gripping the steering wheel tightly as he squad car weaved the squad car through the busy streets Zootpoia's west side. Judy nodded silently as she got to work pulling out the bulletproof plate carrier that was wedged under her seat, once it was free she slipped it over her head and tightened the straps. Satisfied with the snug armour hugging her chest, Judy reached into the back seat and pulled her and Nick's shared duty bag into the front. The rough canvas bag scraped against her paws as she undid the straps that held the bulging bag closed letting it flop open in her lap.

"Let me lead when we get there, you still need to get your vest on," Judy ordered as she pulled her spare mags from the bag and slid them into the pouch that was strapped to the right side of her plate carrier. Nick gave a grunt in response, his attention was focused on the large, brick church that had slid into view. Despite the sun reducing his eyesight, the Fox could still make out the flash of lights from a patrol car parked out front, it's doors hanging open. In a matter of seconds they were beside the car, sirens blazing.

Judy was the first out of the squad car, her pistol drawn as she surveyed her surroundings suspiciously. The street was empty save the abandoned squad car and their own, not even a crowd of curious mammals was present. Seconds later Nick's door swung open and the Fox climbed out cautiously. In the distance he could make out the wine of approaching sirens, they couldn't arrive fast enough.

"Let's move to the doors, we have to find Jack," Judy hissed as she slid out from behind the passenger door, her ears plastered to her head. Nick swallowed the lump in his throat and moved to follow his partner, pistol in paw.

Suddenly a gunshot shattered the silence that had fallen over the abandoned street, Judy and Nick both dived to the ground as a bullet ricocheted off the hood of the squad car. A series of loud cracks followed suit as a wave of shots exploded from the shadows.

"This is Officer Hopps, we have shots fired, shots fired! Officer hit!" Judy screamed into her radio, her voice strained and raspy. Nick cursed beneath his breath as he wriggled behind the relative safety of the Kevlar laced door of the squad car. The radio was alive with traffic as more Officer's started answering their call for help. Panic had started to form a lump in Nick's chest, he couldn't make it around to Judy's car to check her injures without taking a bullet himself.

"You hang in there Carrots, I'll be over in a minute," Nick barked, hoping his partner could hear him over the random gunshot that burst from the church.

' _How much fucking ammo do they have in there?"_ Nick hissed as he shifted so he was sat behind the door in a squat. The sound of squealing tires filled the road as a police car roared around the street corner, it's sirens on full blast. The gunshots ceased altogether as the car sped down the road towards the church.

Taking a deep breath Nick jumped from cover, using the approaching patrol car to catch the gunman by surprise. By some token of luck the Fox's gamble paid off, standing there in the open was a Zebra clutching a 9mm and staring dumbly at the approaching car. Without wasting a second, Nick brought his pistol up squeezing off two shots in rapid succession.

The first bullet struck deep in the Zebra's left shoulder, throwing him back with the force of the impact. Seconds later the next shot caught him in the chest, blood spraying over the steps of the church. Time seemed to slow down as the Zebra stumbled backwards clutching his chest, his bugged eyes caught Nick's as he leaned against the wall to support his failing body.

"FUCK YOU, PREDATOR SCUM!" The Zebra bellowed emptying his clip wildly in the direction of the Fox. Nick cursed as a round caught him in the ribs, stealing his breath away as he fell to the ground gasping for air. A dull pain throbbed deep in the Officer's chest as he lay on the hard concrete trying to catch his breath.

"Are you alive over there Wilde?"Judy's voice gasped weakly from the other side of the patrol car. Nick frowned and turned his head so he was looking under the gap between the car and concrete, his body stinging with the subtle movement. Green eyes met purple and Nick felt a smirk spread across his face as he watched the Bunny tap her plate carrier indicating the shot didn't penetrate.

"I'm still ticking, caught one in the vest too," he groaned pushing himself up off the concrete so he was leaning against the car's open door. Further down the road he could hear yelling as his fellow Officers sprinted down the sidewalk from their patrol cars.

"Where are you hit Wilde?" Officer Mchorn questioned, his large hooves patting the Fox's armoured vest gingerly.

"I'm okay. He hit a plate, it didn't make it through," Nick groaned, the effort to talk almost bringing tears to his eyes. Mchorn nodded then glanced over at his partner, Fangmeyer, who had rushed to Judy's side. A grin split the usually stoic Rhino's face as he watched his partner help the injured Officer to her feet.

"You've got one tough Bunny Wilde," Mchorn chuckled clapping the Fox on the shoulder with a massive hoof.

"Hey! Cut the shit and secure your sectors Officers. This is still an active shooter situation, just because one is down doesn't mean there aren't more," Petty ordered casting a look of disdain at the Officers, her gaze lingering on Nick.

"You heard the lady, if you aren't dead then get on your goddamn feet," Cliff growled, stepping away from his partner to approach the fallen Zebra. The Wolf paused beside the gunman, his icy blue eyes staring down at the mammal with malice. His gaze slid from the dead equestrian to the pair of Officers that were still recovering from the earlier gunfight.

"Not a bad shoot Wilde," the Wolf grunted before giving the Zebra a kick to the ribs, the corpse shifting lifelessly.

"Stop fucking up the corpse, forensic is going to get pissy again," Petty snapped, her eyes boring holes in her partner's back. The white Wolf merely growled in response, baring his teeth dangerously as he stalked towards the front door of the church.

"Go secure the street, I'm going to find that Tiger's body," Cliff hissed before disappearing inside the large open door. His eyes slid across the wrecked Church, his gaze lingering on the flipped pews and scattered bibles.

"S-sorry to disappoint, but I'm not quite dead yet," Jack's voice groaned from somewhere behind an overturned pew. A grin spread across Cliff's maw as he stepped over broken glass, his boots crunching the shards loudly with each step.

"You're a tough one, takes a lot to kill you," Cliff grunted as he stepped over to the Tiger's side and kneeled beside him. Shaking his head the Wolf glanced over his fellow Officer's wounds from the earlier shootout.

"C'mon old man, let's get you up and moving before the Meatwagons show up," Cliff grumbled as he hauled Jack to his feet causing the Tiger to let out a pained howl. The Wolf rolled his eyes as he helped the wounded officer limp out of the church, each step bringing a grunt of pain.

"Bronson didn't make it, he's over there," Jack muttered quietly, his brown eyes glancing over at a small puddle of blood that was pooling out from around a stone pillar.

"I know, I smelled him when I came in. The Bonesaws will take care of the rest," Breckenridge growled as the pair slowly trudged to the church's front door.

The street that had set abandoned a few minutes before was now bustling with activity as a mixture of police cars, ambulances, and news vans crowded the asphalt. Mammals of all shapes and sizes rushed in every direction, their bodies outlined by the intoxicating flash of emergency lights. The Zebra's body had already been covered with a white sheet, a few Hyenas in white ZPD crime scene uniforms milled around the body snapping pictures.

"Delgato, Wolfard. You're on crowd control, make sure it's clear that the ZPD has no comment on the situation as of yet. Mchorn, lead a team in and secure the back of the church, I don't want to take any chances if there's a straggler," Bogo ordered as he stomped out from behind a parked ambulance, a small ocean of blue uniforms in toe behind him. "And for the love god someone get Stripes on a stretcher."

Almost immediately the addressed Officer's dispersed, each one rushing off to complete their assigned tasks. It took a matter of seconds for a Pig in a EMT uniform to wheel a gurney over to the Church's steps for Jack and help him onto it despite his protests.

"Stripes! Are you alright?" Judy demanded as she bounded over to the Tiger's side as fast as the white gauze wrapped around her abdomen would allow, behind her Nick followed, albeit a bit slower. Seeing the worry flash across the Bunny's purple eyes as her gaze caught his blood stained shirt made the predator smirk grimly.

"What's wrong Hopps, gone soft on us already?" Jack chuckled as the Pig forced him to lay back on the stretcher. "Besides, I told you that I've survived worse before you had even thought about being a cop," the Tiger added as he was wheeled away into the sea of flashing lights.

Judy groaned loudly as her foot tapped on the concrete a mile a minute, her eyes boring holes in the Tiger's receding form. Behind her Nick doubled over, his paw clutching at his throbbing ribcage trying his best to suck in as much air a he could fill his lungs with.

"Getting shot twice in the ribs wasn't on my bucket list when I became a cop," the Fox groaned as he straightened up to his full height, still massaging the tender spots where he had been hit. Judy didn't respond, catching her partner's attention, and despite the blur of motion around them his gaze centered on her.

"Something the matter Carrots?" Nick questioned quietly, his tone low enough so only his love's ears could hear the words he whispered.

"Do you ever feel like you can never seem to help your friends, even when they're in need?" Judy sighed weakly. Nick frowned and gently placed his paws on the Bunny's shoulders.

"Don't worry so much Hoppsy, you're friends with the ZPD's finest. You have nothing to worry about," Nick chuckled, trying his best to cheer up his partner.

"I wouldn't say that for certain," Cliff growled from a few feet away announcing his presence to the pair. They followed his gaze to see a pair of Hyena's pushing a stretcher covered with a white sheet out of the church. Slowly all the action in the street ground to a halt as everyone's eyes turned on the two mammals as they calmly loaded the gurney in the back of an awaiting ambulance. The gathered Officers watched in silence as the van pulled away without it's lights, each of them knowing full well what was held inside.

"Bronson was a good Officer, for a Dingo at least," the Wolf muttered to himself as everyone slowly went back to their business. Judy's ears twitched and she whirled around to face the other Officer, her purple eyes burning with anger.

"What the **Hell** is your problem?" The Bunny hissed stomping over to the other Officer, her ears barely reaching Cliff's chin. The Wolf crossed his arms tightly across his chest and returned the angry lapine doe's stare. Anger boiled in Judy's stomach as she watched the predator give a small shrug in response.

"C'mon Judy, just let it go," Nick pleaded from behind his partner, his eyes shifting nervously from Officer to Officer.

"No, Nick. I can't let it go anymore, I want to know what this asshole's issue is," Judy snapped, her voice venomous.

"My issue?" Cliff questioned, his voice coming out in a low growl. Nick felt the hair stand on his back as he watched the Wolf's mouth twist into a snarl flashing his stark white teeth. "My issue is uppity little Officers like yourself who show up thinking that they can change the world for the better. Well, I've got new for you Bunny, you can't. Zootopia is a fucked up and dangerous place, especially for Officers who make a name for themselves with the wrong crowd."

"Put a chain on it Breckenridge, or I'll fry you again," Petty Grail snapped making the Wolf wince at her sharp tone. For a split second the rage in his eyes was replaced by fear as his paw instinctively clutched the collar that was clamped around his neck.

"Understood Grail," Cliff snarled as he turned to stalk off to another part of the crime scene leaving his partner alone with Nick and Judy.

"Chief Bogo wants you two back at the station for a debrief on the double," Grail snapped turning her icy glare to the other Officers standing nearby. Judy held the Hare's intense gaze until she felt Nick's paw on her shoulder.

"C'mon Jude, let's get moving. Francine has a car waiting on us," the Fox whispered giving his partner a gentle tug to pull her away from Petty's glare. The Hare watched the pair of Officers climb into Francine the Elephant's squad car that was several sizes too big for them, her mouth fighting to break into a grin.

"If they make you laugh then why the hell are we so hard on them?" Breckenridge grumbled from a few feet away, his gruff voice breaking the Hare from her thoughts. Her icy blue eyes met her partner's sea green gaze and amused smile.

"We both know what happens to soft Officers, this is for their own good," Petty snapped back, looking away from her Predator partner. Breckenridge chuckled lightly as he stretched a tender spot out of the small of his back, he let out a content sigh as his bones gave an audible crack.

"Maybe they're just what this city needs to step into the future, despite having a temper the little one has a good head on her shoulder," the Wolf mused lazily, his eyes scanning the growing crowd of reporters that were flocking the scene. Beside him his partner gave a nod in silent agreement, he was right after all, Judy had proven herself time and time again.

"I guess I'll go talk to the Fox, get us all on the same page. Besides, they'll want to be there when we go after Luna," Breckenridge grunted breaking the short silence that fell over the pair of them.

"That will probably be for the best. Stay on your toes though, I feel like our mammal might not be the only player on the field," Petty warned as she watched the Wolf stalk away, her icy blue eyes following him until he disappeared from sight.

* * *

A:N/ Thanks to Sub2, c19m, stephyerin, , Bosstwin, TheWatchingEye, HPROTG1995, fp7etdp43, crypto496, JamesEd1997, stubob72556, soulwinds, Drewwoody22, Mithendel, , hpalex13, storygirl99120, jozs001, lexington99, and Wolfs-LP for following and favoriting my story, it's truly amazing to see my work to be enjoyed.

 _Another special thanks to Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for leaving a review! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you think._

 _As a message to everyone, I love reviews, they let me know how I am doing as a author! Any criticism is constructive, so let me know what you think!_


	10. Acceptance

_A/N: Greetings everyone, sorry for the long empty stretch, lot's of work to be done and I'm unfortunately not good enough to pay the bills with just writing. I may take a long time between updates, but, this story will never die, that is a promise!_

Chief Bogo groaned loudly as he shuffled through the haphazard stack of vanilla folders and scattered files that sat on his cluttered desk. In front of him sat his best two Officers, both of which looked rather nervous at the large Buffalo's silence. Nick looked the worse of the two, his green eyes staring blankly at the wall, the day's events finally catching up to him.

"Feeling alright Wilde?" Bogo questioned, his usually stern tone replaced with a softer, more personal voice. Nick's eyes snapped forward and he shook his head breaking him from his silent stupor.

"Peachy sir, never better," the Fox murmured, his voice cracking ever so slightly causing Bogo's glare to soften. Although he could never bring himself to admit it, it always pained him to see his Officers to go through tough situations, especially good cops like Nick. In all of his years as a chief he had been blessed with a rather peaceful time, although he had seen his fair share of death, in total he had now lost seven Officers under his watch, two of them from their own hands. He could now see the same haunted look in the Fox's eyes he had seen many times in the past, the eyes of a Mammal realizing he had taken a life.

"Usually this would be the moment I berate you for an inappropriate comment then kick you two out threatening to put you on meter duty for a month," Bogo sighed, flipping one of the folders closed with a massive hoof. Both Officer's glanced up uncertainty, waiting for the Cape Buffalo to continue.

"Hopps, Wilde. Go home,we'll handle tracking down Luna and whoever else is working with him. You two deserve some down time anyways," Chief Bogo grumbled as he stood up from his massive office chair, his horns nearly touching the lazily rotating ceiling fan above. Judy opened her mouth to protest but caught a look at her disheveled partner, his downtrodden appearance making her think twice about speaking out. All the she wanted to do was continue the case, to continue to prove that a Bunny could be a cop. But, it seemed that her eagerness was starting to take it's toll on Nick. Suddenly guilt welled up in the doe's stomach as she watched the Fox weakly try to give her a sly grin, the fake expression failing to hide his real emotions.

"I'll arrange a paid vacation for you two, on those days I absolutely forbid you two from working or contacting anyone over the case," Bogo ordered as he stalked over to his office's door and quickly opened it. "That is all, now get out!" The Water Buffalo snapped loudly, his voice returning to it's gruff, no nonsense tone. Judy and Nick both climbed out of their shared chair and quietly padded out of the room under the watchful eye of the Chief until he slammed the door behind them with a bang.

"Sounds like Buffalo Butt's got a soft spot for the two of you," Officer Breckenridge grunted, pushing himself off the banister he was leaning on. Nick and Judy both froze at the sound of the White Wolf's voice as he stalked over to stand in front of them, his paws lazily stuffed into his pockets.

"What do you want?" Judy growled, something that would've been entertaining to her partner under any other circumstances, but today he could see the muscles in her neck tense as she watched the Wolf sigh.

"I just want to talk to Wilde," Breckenridge grumbled his sea green eyes glancing past the Bunny in an effort to avoid looking at her. Judy opened her mouth to let the Officer know exactly why she thought that was a bad idea, plus a few extra words that would usually never come out of the doe's mouth, but was stopped when Nick placed a hand on her shoulder. Her amyest eyes stared up at the Fox in concern, clearly not wanting to leave him with the Wolf.

"It'll be fine Carrots, I'll catch up to you later," Nick whispered trying to reassure his partner with a weak smile, though he could tell it wasn't very convincing. Judy wavered for a second, a little voice in her head screaming at her to stay. Finally she relented and turned away from the Fox to pad down the hallway her ears flopping with each heavy step.

"You ever kill anyone before today?" Breckenridge asked bluntly once Judy was out of earshot. Nick froze, the Wolf's question taking him by surprise. His green eyes scanned the other Officer warily, trying to pick up any deception in his gaze.

"I-I killed that Ram, when they were after Judy," Nick whispered, a shudder shooting down his spine as the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. The scattered memories tugged at his mind, flashes of emotion crashing to the front of his consciousness.

"Hate to tell you, but, it'll never get easier. The lives you end will never cease to haunt you, it's something you'll have to live with forever," Breckenridge admitted, watching the Fox for any change in emotion.

"If this is supposed to be a pep talk, you need to work on it," Nick sighed, his ears flattening against the back of his red furred head. Beside him Cliff snorted and leaned up against the railing that separated him from a long fall to the ZPD's lobby.

"I didn't become a cop because I was good with words, so don't judge me there," the Wolf muttered, his gaze lingering on the Fox next to him. It would be an understatement to say the other Officer looked like shit, his eyes were blurry and unfocused, barley able to remain open even for the short conversation.

"Listen, you and that Bunny go home and rest up, we'll need you two back in tip-top shape as soon as possible, especially since Stripes is down," Breckenridge grumbled as he pushed off the railing and started down the stairs that were a few feet away. Nick watched him for a few seconds, his strained mind too bogged down to even manage a witty remark.

Suddenly the Fox's Ipaw buzzed loudly in his pocket breaking the silence the Wolf left behind. Shaking the confusion from his mind, Nick grabbed the small device and flicked the screen bringing it to life.

' _In trouble, please come home quick,'_ the sentence was simple, and yet it drove a sharp fear deep into the Fox's gut as he threw the phone back into his pocket and ran to the stairs as fast as his wounded body could manage.

 _A/N: Unfortunately I lost track of the follows and reviews this story received in my absence. Sorry for not getting a chance to thank everyone personally, I promise to keep track next time!_


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